The invention relates to an aircraft nose and to a method of fitting out such a nose.
FIG. 1 shows a nose of a prior art aircraft 10, which nose includes a primary fuselage structure 12.
The primary structure 12 comprises in particular a plurality of fuselage frames 14 arranged parallel to one another along the longitudinal axis X of the nose. Only the top portions of the fuselage frames 14 are shown for reasons of clarity.
The structure 12 also has a bay 18 for storing the nose landing gear (not shown) of the aircraft.
The primary fuselage structure 12 defines a space inside the structure that is to be fitted out.
More particularly, a cabin floor 20 extends longitudinally from the rear end 10a of the nose to a radome zone 22 situated at the front end 10b of the nose.
The floor 20 subdivides the inside space for fitting out into an upper space and a lower space.
A zone dedicated to the cockpit 24 is for fitting out in the upper space above the landing gear bay 18.
A zone dedicated to an avionics bay 26, referred to as an “electric and electronic bay” or “E&E bay” is to be fitted out in the bottom space. This zone comprises a “front” zone 26a including a landing gear bay 18 (under the cockpit zone 24) and a “rear” zone 26b situated in part under the cockpit zone 24 and under the floor 20 of the top face 28 that is dedicated to a passenger cabin.
In the zone 26a, the space left empty around the landing gear bay 18 is of shape that varies both longitudinally (FIG. 1) and transversely, as can be seen in the cross-section of FIG. 2. Access to this small empty space is relatively difficult.
Integrating avionics racks and electrical and/or electronic equipment and systems in such a zone is therefore found to be lengthy and tedious.
Furthermore, it takes a relatively long time to fit out the rear zone 26b and the zone 24 dedicated to the cockpit. The avionics systems and racks that incorporate electrical and/or electronic equipment are put into place one by one in the zone in question and are then connected (for electricity, air, . . . ) to one another and also to electrical systems and air duct systems installed in the primary structure 12.
The various above-mentioned tasks require a relatively long period of integration time on the assembly line for the nose. It would be advantageous to be able to shorten this integration time.